Harbinger Skyriss Abilities & Strategy

Skyriss

Type: Qiraji <Servant of the Old Gods>

Abilities

Mind Rend - Random Target, Channeled, stuns for 3 seconds, ticks every second for 1250 shadow damage, 1600 on Heroic. Resistible and considered a stun so the full effect can be removed by stun-removing items and abilities. Cannot be dispelled.
Dominate - Mind control, not dispellable. If used on a Rogue, uncontrolled Cloak of Shadows will break the effect prematurely. If used on a Mage, he may Polymorph your healer for the full 50 seconds.
Fear - Single target. Usually cast on a random non-tank target in melee range but will hit the tank and cause aggro drop if there are no other players in melee range. Dispellable, considered a magic effect.
Clone - Produces a weaker duplicate. Occurs at 66% and 33%, both clones can be up if you don't kill them fast enough.

Heroic mode only: Mana Burn - Random targeted mana burn burning around 1500 mana, dealing 750 shadow damage in the process. Not interruptible.

Strategy

Skyriss behaves much like The Prophet Skeram from the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj. The clones have less hitpoints and a somewhat reduced set of abilities. They have a normal non-stunning Mind Flay which deals less damage than the original, however if Skyriss and the clone both use their flay/rend on the same person that person will most likely die.

Healing is the key to this fight. Secondary healers should wear their best healer outfit. The job of the backup healer is to keep Millhouse alive, and to make sure the main healer survives when he's affected by the mind flay.

How to deal with Skyriss' abilities:

1. Skyriss clones

Be sure that the party leader places a raid icon on the original boss so the copies are easily identified and killed ASAP

2. Random Target Mind Rend

This deals a total of 3750 damage. This attack hits for a total of 4800 in Heroic. If the healer is hit, an off-healer can be a great help.

3. Mind Control

Lasts 6 seconds. Mind Control cannot be dispelled, but Cloak of Shadows will break the effect. Forsaken players can also use the Will of the Forsaken Racial to break free of Mind Control. (Untested in Heroic.)

Shadow Protection buff is helpful to resist or break the MC early as well as the mindflay.

A warlocks Felhunter pet can use "Devour Magic" on fears/mind rends/mind control debuffs.

Mages can blink or ice block out of the mind flay, minimizing the damage they take.

A Rogue in melee range will attract every fear and many mind controls; conscientious rogues will equip their PvP trinket and use it early in the fight to absorb as much CC as they can. Bear in mind that Cloak of Shadows can be used by Skyriss while you are Mind Controlled, and break the effect early.

Hunters - make sure to get a Snake Trap out, Skyriss will Mind Flay the snakes, saving you a few Mind Flays and making it easier on your healer.